needed; or within 24 hours of receipt of the report in all other cases (Pennsylvania General Assembly, n.d.b). Upon conclusion of the child abuse investigation, the county agency will provide the results of its investigation to the department. Within three business days of receipt of the results of the investigation from the county agency, the department shall send notice of the final determination to the subjects of the report other than the abused child (Pennsylvania General Assembly, n.d.b). After a referral/report is made When a county agency or law enforcement receives a referral/report, the county agency or law enforcement official is to notify DHS after ensuring the immediate safety of the child and any other child(ren) in the child's home. When ChildLine receives a referral/report, ChildLine will immediately evaluate and transmit the information to the appropriate agency for assessment or investigation: ● Referral to county agency (CPS) – If the suspected child abuse is alleged to have been committed by a perpetrator, ChildLine will transmit the information to the county agency where the suspected child abuse is alleged to have occurred for investigation of the allegation(s). ● Referral to county agency and law enforcement officials (LEO) – If the suspected child abuse is alleged to have been committed by a perpetrator and the behavior constituting the suspected child abuse may include a violation of a criminal offense, ChildLine Returning to the case study Mary’s teacher, Mrs. Anderson, has a duty to report suspected child abuse or neglect. A teacher is considered a mandated reporter by law. Mrs. Anderson should not feel responsible for substantiating the report, as this is the job of the child protection worker. Mary’s weight, school performance, inability to sustain appropriate peer relationships, and bruises should all be reported in detail
If a report was made by a mandated reporter under Section 6313 (relating to reporting procedure), the department shall notify the mandated reporter of all of the following within three business days of the department's receipt of the results of the investigation (Pennsylvania General Assembly, n.d.b): Whether the child abuse report is founded, indicated, or unfounded, and any services provided, arranged for, or to be provided by the county agency to protect the child. will transmit the information to the appropriate law enforcement official in the county where the suspected child abuse is alleged to have occurred for a joint investigation of the allegation(s). ● Referral to law enforcement officials only (LEO) – If the person suspected of committing child abuse is not a perpetrator but the behavior constituting the suspected child abuse may include a violation of a criminal offense, ChildLine will transmit the information to the appropriate law enforcement official in the county where the suspected child abuse is alleged to have occurred for investigation of the allegation(s). ● Referral to county agency (GPS) – If the referral/report does not suggest the child is in need of protective services but suggests the child is in need of other services, ChildLine will transmit the information to the appropriate county agency for assessment of the needs of the child. to ChildLine. Mrs. Anderson can make the report either electronically by submitting it via the Child Welfare portal at https://www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis/public/home or orally by calling ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313. ChildLine will then forward Mrs. Anderson’s report to Department of Human Services, which will begin an investigation to determine if the abuse can be substantiated. ● The mandated reporter is directly responsible for the care, supervision, guidance, or training of the child, or is affiliated with an agency, institution, organization, school, regularly established church or religious organization, or other entity that is directly responsible for the care, supervision, guidance, or training of the child. ● A person makes a specific disclosure to the mandated reporter that an identifiable child is the victim of child abuse. ● An individual 14 years of age or older makes a specific disclosure to the mandated reporter that the individual has committed child abuse. Nothing in section 6311 of the PA CPSL requires a child to come before the mandated reporter in order for the mandated reporter to make a report of suspected child abuse. Nothing in section 6311 of the PA CPSL requires the mandated reporter to identify the person responsible for the child abuse in order to make a report of suspected child abuse. Nothing in the PA CPSL requires a person who has reasonable cause to suspect a child is a victim of child abuse to consider the exclusions from child abuse in order to make a report of suspected child abuse. A mandated reporter is presumed to have acted in good faith when making a report of suspected child abuse.
SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS
The following is a summary of key take aways from this training: ● The basis for reporting suspected child abuse is having “ reasonable cause to suspect ” a child is a victim of child abuse. ● A person who has reasonable cause to suspect a child is a victim of child abuse is not required to identify the type of abuse they are reporting when making a report of suspected child abuse. ● The PA CPSL recognizes three key components of child abuse : ○ Child. ○ Act or failure to act; Recent act; Recent act or failure to act; or A series of acts or failures to act. ○ Intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly. A mandated reporter enumerated under section 6311(a) of the PA CPSL must immediately make a report suspected child abuse to ChildLine, Pennsylvania’s 24/7 Child Abuse Hotline and Registry , by calling 1-800-932-0313 or electronically through the Child Welfare Portal, if they have reasonable cause to suspect a child is a victim of child abuse under any of the following circumstances: ● The mandated reporter comes into contact with the child in the course of employment, occupation, and practice of a profession or through a regularly scheduled program, activity, or service.
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Book Code: FPA0625
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